Every year, the Grand Rapids Public Library features an array of author visits, community programs, cultural events, and, of course, a chance to catch up on some great reading.

This year, the Grand Rapids Main Library kicks off its 2012—2013 season with a reading club that will explore the Great Lakes region—from Chicago to Cleveland. The group will meet at the VanderVeen Center for the Book, Level 4 of the Main Library, at 7 p.m.

October 4, the featured title is Chad Harbach’s The Art of Fielding, the story of shortstop Henry Skrimshander and his college baseball days with the fictional Westish College Harpooners.
November 1 is Once Upon a River, by Bonnie Jo Campbell, about Margo Crane, a difficult and willful woman who etches out an existence along the fictitious Stark River near Kalamazoo. December 6 is Jonathan Barrett Watkins’s action-packed murder mystery Motor City Shakedown.
The group continues to focus on Detroit with John Gallagher’s Reimagining Detroit: Opportunities for Redefining an American CityJanuary 3 and then heads over the state border February 7 with Sherwood Anderson’s short stories of small-town life in Winesburg, Ohio, first published in 1919.

In November, the Main Library also will explore Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that honors family and friends who have died. Loved ones build altars that celebrate the life and memory of the dead. The day is a time of celebration and joy, filled with talk and memories of those who have died.

On November 1, 4—8 p.m., the public can watch the altars being created. The final altars built by local residents will be on display November 2—4. Every altar is unique and taken together, create a fascinating portrait of what the citizens of Grand Rapids hold close. On November 3 there will be live music, light refreshments, and activities for children.

All the Day of the Dead events are free and open to the public. People who are interested in creating an altar should contact Kate Hawkins at khawkins@grpl.org

There is always something for everyone at the Grand Rapids Public Library. For more details about upcoming programs, visit www.grpl.org or call 988-5400.